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Itagaki Innocent, Case Dismissed

About a year ago, the game industry learned of some bad tidings fro Team Ninja's charismatic leader, Tomonobu Itagaki. He found himself facing sexual harassment charges after allegedly putting his arms around a female co-worker and even forcing her to kiss him. The woman complained to Tecmo management, who told her to take care of things herself...well, she did; with a lawsuit.

According to 1Up, though, that case has been officially settled in the Tokyo District Court: Itagaki is innocent and the charges have been dismissed.

"A verdict has been handed out in the sexual harassment case that was brought against me by a former female employee of Tecmo. I have held my head high and have fought the good fight for the past year in order to clear my name and to uphold the reputations of Team NINJA and of Tecmo," said Itagaki to 1Up. "The former employee's arguments were judged to have been false, and all claims that she has brought against me have been dismissed."

Tecmo conducted an investigation of their own immediately after the incident became public, but only issued one statement. It basically said that the two parties had mixed "personal affairs with their corporate responsibilities," but wouldn't get any more specific than that. But it's more than a year later, the case is done, and Itagaki just wants to move on.

"[I have put the] whole matter behind me and [want to] focus on doing what I do best, which is making great games," finished Itagaki.

That's right, back to games, the way it should be. So who wants Ninja Gaiden II?